1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holographic stereogram printing system, hologram printing method and an imaging device for printing out holographic stereograms recorded on a hologram recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
A holographic stereogram is made for example by using a plurality of images as a base image obtained from an object sequentially captured from different viewing points, and recording these images in sequence in rectangular or dot shaped hologram elements on one hologram recording medium.
When for example making a holographic stereogram possessing only parallax information in lateral directions, a parallax image row 101 is obtained consisting of a plurality of images having parallax information in the lateral directions, by sequentially capturing images of an object 100 from laterally different viewing points as shown in FIG. 6. Each of the images 102 comprising the parallax image row 101 is then recorded in sequence as consecutive rectangular hologram elements in the lateral direction on the recording medium 103. A holographic stereogram possessing parallax information in the lateral directions is acquired in this way.
In this holographic stereogram, the plurality of images 102 acquired by capturing sequential images from laterally different viewing points are sequentially recorded as rectangular hologram elements in the lateral direction so that when a person views the holographic stereogram with both eyes, different pieces of two-dimensional information are seen respectively by the right eye and the left eye. The person perceives a parallax (or visual difference in angle) creating a three-dimensional image.
Besides the above, many studies also have been made of three-dimensional display technology utilizing holographic stereograms. A printer system for making holographic stereograms also has been disclosed (A. Shirakura; N. Kihara; S. Baba: xe2x80x9cInstant holographic portrait printing systemxe2x80x9d, Proc. SPIE Vol. 3293, p.246-253, Practical Holography XII).
An example of technology applying a holographic stereogram printing system to portraits, (A. Shirakura; N. Kihara; S. Baba: xe2x80x9cInstant holographic portrait printing systemxe2x80x9d, Proc. SPIE Vol. 3293, p.246-253, Practical Holography XII) is shown in FIG. 7. In the example shown here, the imaging (photographing) with the imaging system 200 requires 7.5 seconds, the hologram printing with the holographic printer 210 requires 180 seconds and the subsequent processing requires 10 minutes. Assuming for instance that this system is operated at an amusement park, with one holographic printer 210 for the imaging system 200, the operating rate for the imaging system will of course decline. Also, if for some reason the imaging time for the imaging system 200 takes longer than the holographic printing by the holographic printer 210 then the operating rate of the holographic printer will worsen.
Further, when printing data such as from the Internet by using this system, contriving some means to sequentially store and print out many image data is required.
In view of the above problems with the related art, this invention has the objective of providing a holographic stereogram printing system and hologram printing method to print holographic stereograms with good efficiency and without a drop in the operating rate of the imaging system and the holographic printer. This invention has the further objective of providing an imaging device capable of making print outs of holographic stereograms on a holographic printer with good efficiency.
In order to achieve the above objectives., the holographic stereogram printing system of this invention comprises a base image provision means to provide a control information file relating to the base image used in the hologram and the base image, a transmission path to transmit the base image and control information file from the base image provision means, and a printing means to make printouts of the holographic. stereograms based on the base image according to the control information file.
The holographic stereogram printing system of this invention is further comprised of a plurality of base image provision means to provide control information files relating to the base image and that base image used in the hologram, a network means for transferring and apportioning the base image and control information files from the plurality of base image provision means, and a plurality of printing means to make printouts of the holographic stereograms based on the base image according to the control information file apportioned from the plurality of base image provision means.
The holographic stereogram printing system of this invention is yet further comprised of an image processing means for specified processing on said base image provided from the base image provision means by way of the transmission path, and the printing; means makes printouts of the row of images subjected to the specified processing by the image processing means according to the control information file.
In other words, this is a system wherein a plurality of camera units or data from a network, such as the Internet, are collected in an image distribution means such as a computer, and the collected image data are assigned appropriately to a plurality of holographic printers to print the holographic stereograms.
Also, ID numbers are assigned to each data by the server computer to make specifying what image has become what holographic stereogram easy, and embedding these ID numbers in the image of the holographic stereogram proves convenient during actual use.